The confluence of science and poker has always been problematic when dealing with the online game. Jeff Banman, CEO of Human Elements, Inc. and owner of Edge-Poker.com, has taken the first definitive steps in melding the two. This recently announced software is designed to provide the players an active and post-play analysis tool regarding their individual stress response during a given session. We dig deeper and figure out how this software can help the poker community.

The first lob…do you play poker professionally? Or are you like me, someone that plays recreationally, enjoys the game, but really doesn’t throw much money out there?
For me personally, I’m a part-time player at best. Playing online has always been a point of frustration for me, I’m much more prone to sit down at a table, look other players in the eye and go for it. From my standpoint it’s not about me as a poker player but rather the knowledge we’ve gained from a variety of environments that allows us to understand the stressors experienced during online play.

OK, to the real questions. How long has this software been in development? Who masterminded it?
The concept for this particular solution developed almost a year ago and has been in active development for the past six months. We have been working in a few closed communities for several years across the Department of Defense on a variety of programs that generated an enormous amount of data for individuals operating in high-stress environments. Along the way we began to experiment in other markets and decided to introduce this solution to the online poker community first. The functional concepts of our programs have been mine but over the past year we’ve added some phenomenal members to our team that continues grow our solutions into rock-solid products.

I understand that this software tracks your stress levels when making a poker decision. How do you use this data? Online, in real life, both?
The first is the live play or active data. Being able to see the rise in your stress levels and take immediate corrective actions is a major shift in how most people function. The second is the opportunity to truly identify the actual point of stress. In many circumstances, what someone believes is the stressor, is actually what we refer to as a compounding event. The stressor may have occurred earlier and with the analysis tools, you will be able to put your finger on it. Because we are involved in so many areas, we are firm believers that the knowledge gained through use of the system applies throughout life. Understanding the specific point of stress, how you react, function and make decisions will naturally bleed over into several other areas of life.

We like to make this comparison. When the first vehicles came out seatbelts weren’t even a consideration. But over time, people began to clearly understand the risks associated with driving and required measures of protection. EDGE-Poker is the first “seatbelt” in the poker market where people put themselves, or in this case, their money and reputation at risk.

Have you tested this out on poker players and how have the results been? All poker variants, or mostly hold’em?
We have built a team of players that have been using and testing our program. They have ranged from those who consider themselves online pro’s to part-time players and included most of the games associated with online play (i.e. hold’em, Omaha, etc.). The results have been as we predicated. The players have been able to identify specific points of stress, apply the techniques offered by the system and shifted there individual stress response. We asked them to keep logs of their days and track the normal stresses of life as well.

What surprises have you encountered among players when testing this software?
From our standpoint there haven’t been very many surprises but there has been a significant amount of validation. It has been exciting to see the science in action. The understanding that the mind can only focus on five to nine simultaneous events at a given time has shown time and again when players continue to add more tables to their sessions. When one or more tables require attention and effort is given to manage all, the stress indicators light up. We’ve seen persistent stressors and impact of minor, consistent losses mount over a time period resulting in an increased stress profile that would only truly be identified through use of a tool such as EDGE-Poker.

Where do you see this software going in the next version(s)?
We have a few ideas of where this whole process is headed. Our decision to launch the BETA version this month was out of respect for the community. While we can stay behind closed doors and develop a solution we think is perfect, the real value and inspiration for feature improvement will come from the masses. We trust the players to drive the features of the next version.

Do you have any spokesperson for the software? Any online sites looking to work with the company?
We have not moved in normal fashion to find the “face” of EDGE-Poker. I think that will come as the software takes hold in the community. It’s our intention to let the value speak for itself rather than engage in personality-based marketing. Our belief is that EDGE-Poker won’t be just another flash in the pan but rather a persistent solution that begins to shift how users play. We know it will change behaviors, improve decision-making and increase your personal odds of success and we want the community to speak to that.

Do you have other software pertaining to poker in the works?
I think it’s important to understand we are not a “poker” company; we’re a Human Performance company. Our core process is one that builds software driven by the individual person. There’s no “system reset” until you’ve achieved the ability to reset yourself. When we look at our products, there are so many possibilities. It’s why we love what we do!